Sectional culvert.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ABRAM SICKLESTEEL, OF NORTHBRANCH, MICHIGAN.

SECTIONAL CULVERT.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 694,796, dated. March 4, 1902. Application filed May 3l, 1901. Serial No. 62,520. (No model.)

To alt whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK ABEAM SICKLE- STEEL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Northbrancb, in the county of Lapeer and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Sectional Culvert, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact'description. Y

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sectional culvert designed for use on highways, railways, and the like and arranged for convenient settingvup or forming in a trench without the aid of skilled labor and constructed to give the greatest strength for height and capacity and not liable to be damaged by frost or ice.

The invention consists of'novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of my improvement is represented inV the'A accompanying drawings, forming a part of Vthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure lis a side elevation of the improvement with a side section removed. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, and Ijig. 4 is an end view of a modified form of the improvement.

The improved sectional culvert illustrated in Figs. l, 2, and 3 consists, essentially, of a base A and sectional arched sides B B', made of suitable material, their upper or apex ends abutting, as is plainly indicated in Figari?. The lower ends of the sections B B are made V-shaped to be seated in correspondinglyshaped longitudinal seats A', formed on the top face of the base A near the sides thereof, so that the sect-ions BB' are not liable .to slip out of position after theearth is filled into the trench containing the culvert. The sections B B are made of suitable length 'and are arranged to break joints at Jthe ends, as is plainly indicated 'in Fig. 3,'and said sections are formed at their upper or apex ends with spaced lips B2, of which the lips of one section interlock with the lips on the opposite section, so that the sections B B are held against longitudinal movement, but are free to open up outwardly in case ice forms in the culvert and presses the sections outward against the surrounding filled -in ground. Thus the sections B B are not liable to be broken by the expansion of freezing water,

and when the ice melts the Weight of the surrounding ground forces the sections B B back into 'a firm interlccked position.

The base A may be made of a single piece, A

as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, or two pieces A2, as shown in Fig. 4; butmeach piece is formed with a longitudinal seat A' for receiving the lower end of the corresponding section B or B. The base-pieces A2 are set on suitable ahutments C, it being understood that this construction of the culvert is more especially designed for use on small streams, creeks, andthe like.

" By arching the side sections B B', as shown,

and having their apex ends abutting, as described, it is evident that the greatest strength for height and capacity of the culvert is obtained.

I do not limit myself to any particular material for forming the base and sides, and it is also evidentthat the culvert-sections may be constructed before setting up in a trench.

or they may be formed in the trench.l

Having thus fully described myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A sectional culvert, comprising a base, oppositely disposed side sections mounted upon the same and arranged to break joints with each other, said side sections being provided with serrated edges for forming a sulthe sections being provided with serrations and slightly rounded externally, thereby forming a rotund, smooth external apex.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK ABRAM SICKLESTEEL.

Witnesses:

WM. O. KEELER,

JAMES T. MCDOUGALL.

IOO 

